Small temple and swing at Bikampulli

The British East India Company was the first joint-stock corporation to be formed in England, and it eventually became one of the most powerful trading companies in the world, with a virtual monopoly on trade in India and the East Indies. The East India Company or the British East India Company and informally as John Company was an English and later British joint-stock company, which was formed to pursue trade with the East Indies but ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and Qing China. After the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, London merchants presented a petition to Queen Elizabeth I for permission to sail to the Indian Ocean. Permission was granted, and on 10 April 1591 three ships sailed from Torbay around the Cape of Good Hope to the Arabian Sea. On 31 December 1600, the Queen granted a Royal Charter to "George, Earl of Cumberland, and 215 Knights, Aldermen, and Burgesses" under the name, Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading with the East Indies. The governance of the company was in the hands of one governor and 24 directors or "committees", who made up the Court of Directors. They, in turn, reported to the Court of Proprietors, which appointed them. Ten committees reported to the Court of Directors. According to tradition, business was initially transacted at the Nags Head Inn, opposite St Botolph's church in Bishopsgate, before moving to India House in Leadenhall Street. The company played a key role in the spread of British influence in India and the development of the British Empire. However, it also became involved in corruption and exploitation, and it was eventually dissolved in 1858, following the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Linnaeus Tripe was a British photographer known for his pioneering work in the field of photography. He was born in Devonport, England on 14 April 1822. The son of a naval officer, Tripe spent much of his childhood moving around the world with his family. In 1838, Tripe joined the army of the East India Company as a clerk and was stationed in India for the next 24 years. During his time in India, he developed an interest in photography and began to experiment with the medium. In 1854 he was appointed the official photographer for a British mission to Burma (now Myanmar). Tripe's photographs of Burma are considered some of the earliest and finest examples of architectural and landscape photography. Using large-format cameras, he produced detailed, carefully composed images that captured the intricate details of the country's temples and pagodas. After returning to England in 1857, Tripe continued to work as a photographer but struggled to make a living from his art. He eventually gave up photography and worked as a civil servant until he retired in 1895. Tripe's photographs were largely forgotten until the 1980s, when they were rediscovered and recognised for their historical and artistic importance. Today his work is held in high esteem by collectors and museums around the world. Linnaeus Tripe died on 2 October 1902 in Devonport, England, at the age of 80.